Abstract

This 3-day couse is aimed at providing the students with basic knowledge and experience with planning and performing ET (Exploratory Testing), organizing the work and fitting the test results to the surrounding context. It starts from the context and points to different tools such as heuristics, note taking and SBTM/MTBS (Session-Based Test Management / Managing Testing Based on Sessions), to create effective and valuable testing, based on skill, thought and risks.

The course is highly interactive and packed with exercises that are always debriefed and analyzed to help students internalize their newly learned skills and tools.

The course can be extended with coaching activities to help the students incorporate ET in their work.

Course Objectives

The course covers the principles of CDT (Context-Driven Testing), the discipline of ET (Exploratory Testing), SBTM (Session-based Test Management) for managing the testing as well as Test Strategizing, Planning and Reporting based on Heuristics, Opportunities and Risks. The course relates everything we do to how it works within an Agile context, points to different Tools and Methods that may be of use along the way, and includes a perspective on how testing is fused with different needs (like ‘Cover all the requirements’, ‘What to do with the bugs’ and the impossibility of testing everything and getting effective testing done in the short time that is available).

Participants will gain basic knowledge and experience with planning and performing ET (Exploratory Testing), organizing the work and fitting the test results to the surrounding context

Who will benefit?

This course is most appropriate for Testers, Test Engineers, Test Leads, Test Consultants and Test Managers.

Details

Delegates are required to bring their own Laptop PC’s (not MAC or iPad’s), since a lot of the training is based on real hands-on exercises run on PC).

Abstract

Agile development methodologies have quickly gained ground around the world and are today one of the more prevalent models for software development. For testers, the transition from traditional development models can be difficult or even frightening. It doesn’t have to be though.

In this 2-day course, you get to do a deep-dive into the what the principles of agile development means for testers and how you can transform your work into becoming both more efficient and effective.

Most parts of the course will contain practical exercises that will allow participants to not only gain theoretical knowledge, but also put it into practice right away, and thus gain a deeper understanding of the different topics.

Course Objectives

We’ll be discussing the tester’s role in agile teams and how to best create an agile test strategy. Participants will gain a better understanding of what exploratory testing can offer as well as knowledge of different sorts of heuristic tools and checklists that are absolutely essential for an agile tester.

Furthermore, we will go through the test management frameworks Session-based Test Management and Thread-based Test Management and discuss how they can be applied to gain traceability and help build a strong foundation for test reporting in an agile setting.

The course also contains sections dedicated to the role of test reporting, test automation, and different test tools that can help simplify your work as an agile tester.

Who will benefit?

Anybody working with testing in an agile setting, as well as Scrum Master and managers who need a deeper understanding for the role testing plays in an agile team or organization.

Details

Duration: 2 DaysLanguage: Swedish or English

Abstract

Software projects today are often large and complex. This requires a test organization which is able to work with requirements and risks in a structured way. Structured testing includes clear goals, strategies and coverage. One important tool in structured testing is to use test design techniques. Test design techniques make it possible to create test cases with better precision, a more specific coverage and better prioritization.

Many testers know about test design theories, but for some reason, an aware usage of test design techniques is not very common in many test organizations.

During two days, the most common black box test design techniques will be explained in theory and with examples. Several exercises will help the students to understand how and when to apply the different techniques, like Equivalence Partitioning, Boundary Value Analysis, State-Transition testing, Decision-tables, Use-case testing and Pairwise testing.

This workshop can be extended with coaching if needed.

After the workshops, the real challenge is to actually apply the new skills in the everyday work. A period of coaching within the “real” work could be very beneficial, especially for less experienced testers. The coaching could be done with one tester at a time, or with smaller groups of testers. The coach can help with requirement analysis, test case reviews and creation, etc. All with a focus on black box test design techniques.

Course Objectives

To get the tester acquainted with test design techniques usable in daily work.

Who will benefit?

Testers, Test developers

Details

Abstract

Exploratory Testing (ET) is an approach to software testing that is concisely described as simultaneous learning, test design and test execution. Cem Kaner, who coined the term in 1983, now defines exploratory testing as “a style of software testing that emphasizes the personal freedom and responsibility of the individual tester to continually optimize the quality of his/her work by treating test-related learning, test design, test execution, and test result interpretation as mutually supportive activities that run in parallel throughout the project.” That definition also says something about why Exploratory Testing is such a powerful approach, once mastered. Some prominent experts in the field have even gone so far as to equate the word “testing” with Exploratory Testing, while referring to test case-driven, scripted testing as “checking”.

Course objectives

Introducing Exploratory Testing and showing its powers as a structured way of challenging a product in order to learn about it, and introducing SBTM as a systematic approach to keeping the direction and provide accountability of the testing done.

Who will benefit?

Testers, test managers, project managers, developers, architects

Details

Abstract

Session-Based Test Management is a way to make the intangibles of Exploratory Testing more tangible. It was specifically developed as a framework to organize testing so as to optimize and stay focused on the more important parts, while keeping up with the flexibility and powerful adaptation to change that Exploratory Testing provides. It means we have a set of expectations for what kind of work will be done and how it will be reported. As in a recording studio, this work is done in “sessions.” Sessions range typically from 45 minutes to several hours, depending on the charter – or “mission statement”, which the tester will focus on – for that time. Learning to describe, select and prioritize charters, debriefing the vital information and constantly meet the needs of the stakeholders is fun, giving and also challenging, especially in fast-moving projects with tight schedules.

Course objectives

To introduce and help the students set up SBTM as their primary tool for directing test activities. The course involves real problem solving related to introducing SBTM in an organisation and gives the students various tools and insights that helps them solving these problems.

Who will benefit?

Details

Abstract

This workshop mixes practical exercises and theory briefings with the participants’ own learning goals. The students will experience what participating in an actual Scrum project can be like. We will have experiental designed exercises covering all roles, artifacts and ceremonies in Scrum but more important we focus on bringing understanding to the social science aspects of Agile. This to emphasize the importance of good communication and teamwork.

The last day focuses entirely on applying the knowledge participants have gained into the context of a project. This day is about making Scrum work for you, in your circumstances. It is an advantage (but not necessary) if there is a certain amount of time (e.g. 1 week) between the first two workshop days and the third. This to allow the participants the possibility of receiving knowledge, translating it into practice and being able to bring fresh problems and examples to the last day of the workshop.

Course objectives

The goal of this workshop is that you as a participant will get a basic understanding of how and why Scrum works, and gain an insight into how to apply this in practice.

Henrik Andersson

House of Test is my fuel, it is the platform to make ideas happen and it is our contribution to develop testing further. I co-founded this company to enable testers to live out their passion for testing in order to become the best skilled testers ever.

I believe that we grow and become better by sharing knowledge and learn from others. I do this through the context driven testing community where I am a well know and respected face and voice.

I’m co-founder of the world renowned Let´s Test conference with the purpose to provide a home and learning ground for our community.

Locally I’m founder and host of ConTest at FooCafe in Malmö where we share experiences and learn from each other to raise awareness of and to advance Context Driven Testing.

Internationally I co-founded ISST (International Society for Software Testing). Our mission is to put common sense back into testing.

As you can see this not only my job, this is my life and I love it.

Georg Lysen

In co-founding House of Test, I saw an opportunity for freedom; a freedom from dictated models and conformative thinking, a freedom to broaden my horizons and grow as a tester. Most of all, it’s a freedom to do a damn good job and it’s a freedom I take very seriously.

In my more than 15 years of working with IT, I have come across the good, the bad and the ugly within software development, all of which helped me build a broad base to stand on and approach any new situation with confidence and skill. It has also given me a great testing toolbox to choose and select from based on the unique context of any new project. Quality, as much as I love it, is not a one-man show and I aim to get everyone to feel engaged in the quality of the product by spreading my enthusiasm, sharing valuable information and having my bug reports be something even the developers look forward to receiving.

Jan Wegner

I entered the professional IT world when studying computer science at the University of Paderborn and having a job as a systems administrator. After working quite a while as systems admin, I was hired as a professional Software Engineer. The first time it became “test-related” was after finishing university and entering into a big German web-portal. Our Team was inspired by Toyotas “Total Quality Management” (well) idea and lean-approach. Still programming I was working at the QA-department, to assure that no software hits the servers, which was not verified by our department. We saw early versions of frameworks like Selenium, Spring, CruiseControl and software from e.g. Apache Jakarta which are still in use today – at much later versions, though.

As a matter of fact we were building our own test tools because testing was not yet a discipline by itself. Some may not come to mind firsthand when talking comes to test tools. In the meantime the business has changed a lot and observing, thinking an communicating are the primary tools at hand instead being the human bug-finder. After working for a while on both sides of the ‘front line’ between software development and software testing, I found my first job as a testing (only) position. Having an innovative manager, I had the first encounter with the context driven school of testing.

Providing information about the ‘state of the product’ and contributing to identifying risks is now one of my primary goals. Besides that I enjoy working with a team not only following “The Prozess(tm)” but strive to learn, adapt and change. In that field I am really engaged about showing the agile benefits to those who work with me. Bering thoughtful and risk-aware I am also a hands-on guy, passionate with experimenting. Last but not least I keep my eyes and mind open for the new and noteworthy.

Lars Sjödahl

I’m a technically curious tester with a burning interest in anything connecting software with the physical world, from small sensors to large moving constructions. With a background in engineering physics where I cleaned house with all courses at the department of electrical measurements, I’ve spent 13 years in research and development, mainly testing embedded software. With the unusual combination of both being at home in the borderland between software and hardware, and being an experienced context-driven tester, I’m the perfect choice for testing anything that interacts with the physical world. Being an evangelist for quick-to-develop, easy-to-change equipment such as Arduino, I’m used to helping testers take their tool-making to the next level, crafting the right tools for their own context, while tirelessly coming up with more questions to find ways to test, analyse and understand a product’s capabilities and limitations.

In my spare time I’m often improving my self-built 3D-printer, building and programming robots and hydroponic systems or building high powered rockets, which I’ve attained international certification to launch. I also cultivate an interest in genre films.

Martin Nilsson

I’m a kick ass tester with an incredibly wide spectrum of skills; from programming microprocessors to developing Continuous Integrations strategies for development organizations. My unusual combination of technical expertise and understanding of systems and organizations has made me a favourite to throw into highly complex situations on short notice.
Quote from my last customer for whom I in six months went from a System Tester to the Test Coordinator of a project with a hundred testers: “We didn’t believe your CV. We were wrong”. Not only do I perform my work excellently, I also spread my passion of Test to my colleagues, enabling their growth as well in their trade.

My drive comes from a curiosity of technology and people and I leverage this heavily in my passion for test. I’m able to outpace my competition by having my work as a hobby and therefore I’m constantly evolving my abilities in my craft.

Johanna Forsberg

I am an awesome tester that is burning for what I do and not even a firefighter can put that fire out!

I started my career at The Incubator program by House of Test. In addition to working full time as a consultant I was additionally studying Test over ten hours each week for two years. I loved that challenge because I love to learn and grow increasingly better in my trade. During the two years in the Incubator program I have gone from a junior tester to a Test Lead with teams in multiple countries.

After the incredible time as an Incubator I joined the wonderful team at House of Test. Here I get inspired to become even better, to think more and to learn even more.

Andreas Cederholm

Testing is not just my livelihood, it is part of my identity. In order to constantly learn and improve to become a superhero tester I read and write test related blogs and books, presentations, discuss testing at test conferences or local test meet-ups and am an active part of the test community. I love to share my knowledge and passion for testing, and it shows in my work.

I have worked with world class test automation, creating automated checks and creating test framework, heavily based on requirements but have also worked with Session Based testing where information for test ideas were taken from multiple sources.

My experiences have taught me many important lessons and that above all, Context matters.

Göran Bakken

I’m an experienced and highly devoted tester who is very appreciated by customers. They value my consistent delivery of high quality results and my contribution of enthusiasm and commitment which spreads to the whole team. During my many different assignment I’ve become an expert in quickly identifying and getting deep knowledge of the critical parts of new systems . I’m known for having a relentless drive to improve everything I see and touch. I’m also constantly trying to improve myself as a tester by sharpening my technical skills but also to further develop my mental abilities. To improve I read books, blogs, attends conferences and seminars. I also take self studying courses and spend time on own projects. I have excellent communication skills and have on several occasions held seminars for customers on tools and test methodology. I take great pride in being an excellent tester, but even more in helping myself and others improve as testers every day.

Nicola Owen

I’m passionate about software testing. I believe, to be an effective tester you need to be a strong communicator – and if the person you’re talking to isn’t on the same page: Try again. Use diagrams; body language; change of wording.

As a tester I’m constantly looking for ways to grow and learn; whether that be through taking courses, reading blogs or bouncing ideas off people I look up to in the field. I also grow and learn by keeping a testing blog. It helps me document my learning journey and see how my thought processes have changed over time.

I’m a strong advocate for Context Driven Testing as it doesn’t believe in a “one size fits all approach” to testing. There’s no such thing as best practices because the context between different projects can differ greatly.

When I’m not at work, you’ll probably find me cooking, baking or watching stand-up comedy. I also love learning foreign languages – it’s a great way to experience a new culture.

Paschalis Bimpisidis

I am a passionate and enthusiastic individual who has started his journey in the software testing world some years ago. In this journey I have gained experience from testing big e-commerce platforms, cloud systems and many more services. During those assignments I had the chance to prove my skills and at the same time become better at it.

I am detail-oriented, with great communication skills and I can be a valuable asset to every company who takes testing seriously. In order to keep this journey going, I always strive to learn from the best and constantly improve and that’s one of the many reasons I joined the team at House of Test.

Simon Berner

I started my career in IT as a system engineer/administrator and then later as a developer. I finally stumbled over testing and it stuck with me. I love the burnt smell of deep thinking while testing and to forget the rest of the world while I’m absorbed with awesome testing. I’m very enthusiastic about software testing – especially for those things I don’t know yet. I’m experienced in story testing, performance testing and mobile testing. Besides that, I have also deep knowledge in requirements engineering and agile project- and application management, I’m good at talking to customers and I’m a very good listener and tacit observer. The restlessness drives me, I’m always open to learn something new and like a chameleon I’m able to fit me into every new challenge and situation.

For me House of Test is like being among rock stars. It is the ultimate place to grow, learn, congress, communicate and debate. It’s full of responsibility, freedom, passion and satisfaction, to evolve as human beings and testers. I give all the power I’ve got for moving us forward and getting a bit wiser each day.

Diana Flores

My motto is do it better. As testers we have the opportunity to find improvements. We have both the overview, by being involved in different phases, and also the behind the scenes look, by being involved in finding root causes.

My motivation in choosing a career in IT was to solve problems, learn about new ideas and share the better practices.

I started university in Budapest for Informatics-Mathematics, and did English-language IT-teacher training as well, which matched my desire to combine a human side to the rational subjects. I continued with a thesis and case study on socio-technical congruence, when I moved to Amsterdam for a Computer Science MSc.

My first work experience, software configuration manager, thought me how important communication is, being the connection point of developers, testers and project managers, which I kept in mind when I became a tester.

I enjoyed especially the agile projects, as it gives you the most room to change towards efficiency.

I joined HoT to be among the motivated people who feel that testing is not just a job, it is our profession, so I feel at home here.

Natalia Wall

I believe that critical thinking is one of the most important characteristics a person needs to possess in order to become a skilled tester. These skills enable me to identify weaknesses and make me ask questions like “what if” and “why”. Those questions often lead to insights in early iterations that help eliminate issues which otherwise might have been introduced to the end user.

In my previous positions, I have been appreciated for having an enquiring mind as well as for being organised and highly dedicated to the projects. I set high standards for quality and it is important to me that the things we do add value. After all, my goal is to help you reach your goal!

I am known for having great communication skills and for being a social tester. Fortunately, I am also a coffee nerd which often comes in very handy when I need to discuss issues with developers. A fresh cup of coffee will usually make them listen, talk or help me.

I am not afraid of taking initiatives that can improve the overall performance nor am I afraid of taking on new challenges. I have extensive experience of software testing, both from working in many different roles (test lead, test laboratory manager and test engineer) and in different domains (embedded software for telecom, web apps and mobile apps). This enables me to quickly adjust to the context.

Apart from being an awesome tester and coffee nerd I also enjoy growing plants in my garden, photography, fine dining or training karate. Last but not least I love spending as much time as possible with my kids.

Alexandre Bauduin

Quality is not a mandate: It is my lifestyle. I have been testing in various fields like electronic boards, smart cards, airborne equipment, TV broadcasting systems, warehousing and other industries , software or equipment that have to work once or 24-7 for millions of end users.

Don’t be surprised if during a test campaign you see me looking at an oscilloscope and an electronic schematic, a vernier caliper and a mechanical drawing, stepping into assembly code, recompiling a Nux kernel, debating about requirement or test-stalling a Boeing 777!

So many missions in many places, countries with only one goal in mind: Provide the best test services to my customers.

Testing for me could be a piece of jazz music: A mix of cultures, techniques, non conventional beats and I love to compare testing activity to jamming sessions. But it could also be a piece of classical music with strict rules.

I feel home at House of Test because in any case what is the most important thing is THE Context.

Michal Zima

Testing is not only work for me, it is a profession and a passion. Testing for me is bringing clarity into uncertainty, bringing value for the project with the information I provide.

I jumped into testing right after my masters degree in management of computer systems. Working on various projects I started to develop passion and enthusiasm for this profession. I am constantly refining and adding to my skills through work itself, through self-study, from courses/seminars and on community events. While on projects I seek new ways to solve problems, minimize chaos, promote collaboration and build a knowledge base among people. I strive to achieve mutual trust in the form of:

“Michal tested this, there will be no surprises”

My strength lies in banking, followed by reinsurance and embedded devices.

My methods include scripts to support my testing and I am willing to use trial /error to an extent when most people give up. This helps me creating a model of the system which I then refine incrementally. At the end of the day, only the testing itself shows the best approach. You need to always be ready to change the way how you approach the problem.

When you don’t see me testing, I am probably traveling, doing sports (fitness, running, martial arts) or reading a good book.

Linda Hedin Liljegren

Since I was a little kid I have loved mathematics and people. The things I do at work is what I always liked to do and that is to meet people, do the financials and much more.

My strong qualities are being used at House of Test when I meet all our great consultants or doing the economic. The favorite part for me is to see the person behind the awesome tester. That really makes my day.

Before I started at House of Test, I worked as an accountant consultant at a company in Malmoe. I was only there for a year but I learnt a lot. Before that, I worked in Denmark for eight years at a big worldwide company, my responsibilities at the company was economics. That experience is something I will use at House of Test to make it even greater than it is.

When I´m not at work, I love to spend time with my family (I have five kids and a wonderful husband), take a long run, sew clothes or read an enjoyable book. I´m just like an old lady =)

Ben Kelly

For me, the various software development disciplines are complimentary and they are more effective when each discipline understands the fundamentals of the others. Testers especially need to have many strings to their bow as they are also an information conduit, seeking information and getting it to people who can benefit from it.

My view of testing and software development is heavily influenced by my martial arts background. I hold a 5th Dan in kendo and represented Australia several times at the world kendo championships. Just as with kendo, or anything worth mastering, software testing requires consistent and deliberate practice with the intent to improve.

Software testing has been a huge part of my life for more than fifteen years now. I’ve built and led teams in Australia, Japan and the United Kingdom at companies ranging from small start-ups to enterprise level multinational corporations, including heading up software testing for the European Product Development department at eBay. I’m now the managing director of House of Test UK.

In addition to my company duties, I like to run workshops and speak at conferences around the world. There are some really interesting developments in the software testing industry. There’s a critical mass of skilled practitioners connecting with one another to share their experience and skills and I’m excited to be a part of it.

Sebastian Thuné

I tend to use the word successful, and I want to start out by clarifying my definition of this word.

For me it’s not the meaning of having achieved fame, wealth, or social status. Successful for me will always be to accomplish a desired aim or result. It’s up to you to define success, and I will do anything I can to help you out.

Communication and problem solving is my life. We are all in the people business, and that’s the very foundation of my philosophy. With a plan and the 80/20 rule I make every minute and every challenge as an excuse to advance. Through a history of sales, leadership, marketing and partner management and a successful track record of solving problems within the areas of retail, software development, IT, SaaS and telecommunications I will continue to push myself, coworkers, customers and partners forward in the successful ongoing journey of House of Test & friends.

With a strong entrepreneurship and an open mind, I’m ready to help every one of you out there who is curious on how we as the number one context-driven testers can help you accomplish every desired test result you might wish for.

Ida Waller

I was once asked how such a positive and outgoing person as you always expect the worst.

My answer simply was that I´m a tester and there are always problems but my mission is to make sure that we know what kind of problems exists so that we can take care of them.

Communication is my biggest strength, I often lead various dialogues with many stakeholders, customers and end-users. I always try to see the full picture to understand how the system works and who will use it, so it´s not always about the tech skills.

I try to stay sharp because software and testing is constantly evolving, getting more complex and advanced. Even after 10 years I still feel excited when finding issues in software or explaining why for example a feature might not be easy to understand for an end-user.

Besides being a tester, I also have thorough experience in big data and business intelligence tools.
I can help you identify new business opportunities by analyzing and visualizing your data.

If there is software there will always be bugs to track down and I’m like good wine getting better with years of experience.

Victor Förare

I am a tester that is always looking for new challenges, that never gets bored with a task because I always find things to improve or things to test in ways they never have been tested before.
I like being around brilliant people since I am like a sponge that quickly absorbs knowledge from those around me and have the ability to quickly fill in anyone’s shoes if need be. That was what enticed me to join the HoT family.
My goal in every company is to become one of the people with the best overview of the system as a whole.
Since I started out in health care and later re-schooled into a software test engineer I have refined social and technical skills.
They came in handy when I developed test routines, trained new employees and handled customer support for several years with one of my previous employers.
I know that the developer has a profound knowledge about their own code, but I have the ability to take a step back and view the system as a whole. I am like the glue that fuses your systems together.
I will analyze your system integrations and if anything is amiss I will find it, I got the Bug repellent spray for you.

Emma Lilliestam

A hammer is a nice tool for some things, but if you use it to fix a window you might not get the intended result. I keep a scientific approach to most things and my interdisciplinary background helps me find the right tool for the right task.

My road to software testing was far from straight, but throughout studies of IT security, system administration, environment, anthropology and journalism one thing has always been at the core: studying vulnerabilities, and fixing them.

I think both inside and outside of the box. Standards and checklists help with organization and systematization of product development. But a standard must always be set in a context, and is only efficient when continuously tweaked.

Some people regard the word “nerd” as negative. I don’t. Nerdism is a real superpower, it gives a person the stamina to skeptically interrogate a subject again and again. I’m a nerd about the GDPR, user security, business continuity and process. On my spare time I nerd about space, cyborgs, cognition, music, and long distance training.

Andreas Roos Bergman

As a tester I’m not afraid to challenges your idea of test and quality. I come from the “new” way of thinking and despite the fact that I’m at the beginning of my test career I already have a lot of useful experience,

I got my education from EC Software Testing where House of Test where involved, and I early adopted their way of breathing test & quality. Naturally when they contacted me I took the opportunity. I might be at the beginning of my journey, but I already get to learn from the best.

I love to work in teams close to developers. It doesn’t matter if you lack experience in test, I rise to the occasion. I strongly believe that quality is not owned by one individual but rather by the entire team. In all aspects, from idea to delivery.

Carin Cedergren

I think that in many ways I could be the perfect tester. I have logical mindset, I am thorough but I also have a good insight on what is good enough, I have a good eye for foreseeing risks and I also seem to have a nack for breaking things.

I am a positive person who thrives on irritation. Positive anger is my drive and one thing that angers me is doing things a certain way only because of old habit. Understanding the cost and the benefit is essential for effective and good software testing. I have been on the dark side of test case maintenance and abiding by strict rules that doesn’t really make sense, but everyone’s so preoccupied with upholding these rules that they never stop to question them.

What happens when we dare to make that leap? How can that improve us as a company, a team and as individuals? That’s what I am here to find out!

I love what I do, and I love getting better at it. I almost never wear anything other than black since lighter colours seem to hurt my soul. I also love kittens.